All articles by Jeremy Kay – Page 1334

  • News

    Barbakow takes over as president of board at Santa Barbara festival

    2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

    The 22nd annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF)will take place in 2007 from Jan 25 to Feb 4.Festival organisers have also announced new officers for the SBIFFboard of directors, headed up by president Jeff Barbakow, the former chairmanand chief executive officer of MGM/UA, who takes over from Arnold Kassoy.The ...

  • News

    TWC takes international rights to crossword doc Wordplay

    2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

    The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired all international rightsto Patrick Creadon's crossword documentary and Sundance hit Wordplay and will commence sales at Cannes.Christine O'Malley produced the feature, which profiles NY Times crosswordeditor Will Shortz and charts the fortunes of contestants in the AmericanCrossword Puzzle Tournament founded by Shortz.Crossword aficionados Bill ...

  • News

    Kent Jusick installed as executive director and curator of MIX NYC festival

    2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

    MIX NYC, the media arts organisation behind the New York Lesbian& Gay Experimental Film Festival, has installed a new team of directors.The four-person committee is led by executive director andfilmmaker and curator Stephen Kent Jusick.Co-directors are Canadian-born artist, photographer anddocumentarian Szu Burgess, animator, artist and diversity activist Kate Huh,and filmmaker ...

  • News

    Molter promoted to senior vp of distribution at WBPI

    2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

    Thomas Molter has been promoted to senior vice president of distributionat Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI).Among his duties Molter will oversee digital theatrical releases strategyand evaluate new theatrical growth opportunities involving IMAX and other 3Dformats.He is also responsible for distribution strategy in developingmarkets such as China, Vietnam and Russia, and ...

  • News

    Voltage takes back sales rights on Flyboys

    2006-05-03T04:00:00Z

    Dean Devlin and Nicolas Chartier's sales agency Voltage Pictureshas taken back from Lionsgate International the first world war epic Flyboys produced by Devlin's ElectricEntertainment.Under the amicable agreement Voltage will handle all internationalrights at Cannes.Directed by Tony Bill, Flyboys stars James Franco as a young fighterpilot volunteer in Europe. Martin Henderson ...

  • News

    BVI partners with MegaStar for Vietnam distribution

    2006-05-03T04:00:00Z

    Buena Vista International (BVI) has formed a partnership withMegaStar Joint Venture Company to distribute pictures in Vietnam.MegaStar is a joint venture between Envoy Media Partners headed byTed Shugrue and Phuong Nam Corporation, and has offices in Hanoi and Ho ChiMinh City.The joint venture will be run in Vietnam by Lim ...

  • News

    Arclight already closing deals for Un Certain Regard's 2:37

    2006-05-02T04:00:00Z

    ArclightFilms will handle worldwide sales at the Cannes market for first-time Australian director Murali K Thalluri's drama 2:37, which was recently added to the Un Certain Regard line-up at Cannes.Arclighthas already closeddeals with Village Roadshow in Australia, SND in France, Manga in Spain, andCinequanon in Japan.2:37 is the interwoven story ...

  • News

    Weinstein Co buys rights on Shephard's Bosnia

    2006-05-02T04:00:00Z

    TheWeinstein Company (TWC) has picked up North American, Australian and NewZealand rights to Richard Shepard's Spring Break In Bosnia, the director's second film after The Matador.Productionon the comic thriller is set to begin this summer in Europe. The film is backedby Intermedia and QED International, and QED will handle worldwide ...

  • News

    Weinstein Co buys rights on Shephard's Bosnia

    2006-05-02T04:00:00Z

    TheWeinstein Company (TWC) has picked up North American, Australian and NewZealand rights to Richard Shepard's Spring Break In Bosnia, the director's second film after The Matador.Productionon the comic thriller is set to begin this summer in Europe. The film is backedby Intermedia and QED International, and QED will handle worldwide ...

  • News

    Focus takes international rights on Gondry's Rewind

    2006-05-02T04:00:00Z

    FocusFeatures has acquired international rights to Michel Gondry's upcoming picture BeKind Rewind starring Jack Black.FocusFeatures International will begin sales at Cannes on Focus' third collaborationwith Gondry following Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Dave Chappelle's Block Party, which is on release in North America.Gondrywill direct from his own screenplay ...

  • News

    Hollywood Film Festival sets '06 dates as Oct 17-23

    2006-05-02T00:00:00Z

    The 10th annual Hollywood Film Festival will take place in LosAngeles from Oct 17-23, culminating in the Hollywood Awards on the final night.Festival organisers said they plan to expand the roster of eventsthis year and will announce more details on symposiums, premieres and specialscreenings later in the year.'We are very ...

  • News

    Cotter joins Legendary Pictures as vp, creative affairs

    2006-05-02T00:00:00Z

    Alysia Cotter has joined Burbank-based Legendary Pictures in thenewly created role of vice president of creative affairs.Cotter (pictured) will report to Legendary's chief creativeofficer Jon Jashni and assist in managing Legendary's development andproduction slate.Legendary Pictures formed a partnership with Warner Bros in 2005to co-produce and co-finance at least 25 pictures ...

  • News

    American Pavilion goes green with Paramount, Participant in Cannes

    2006-05-02T00:00:00Z

    The American Pavilion in Cannes and Paramount's specialty divisionare teaming up to raise awareness over global warming.The initiative ties in neatly with the out of competitionscreening of Davis Guggenheim's global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which Paramount's specialty divisionwill release in the US on May 26.The partners will use biodegradable ...

  • News

    Sony's RV tops domestic box office with $16.4m

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Sony's comedy RVpulled up to the number one spot on an estimated $16.4m as the top 12 picturesgrossed $90.7m to surpass the same weekend of 2005 by 12%.Universal's9/11 docudrama United 93 openedto a wave of exceptional reviews in provisional second place on $11.6m, justahead of Buena Vista's gymnastics comedy Stick ...

  • News

    Ice Age 2 still leads international with $25.3m weekend

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Fox International's Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is bearing down on $400m followinganother dominant weekend that generated an estimated $25.3m.Playing on 8,396 screens, the smash animated sequel has nowamassed $373.6m in international ticket sales.The highlight was a superb $4.7m second weekend haul in Italy on647 screens for number one and ...

  • News

    De Bont to direct Intermedia/QED actioner Stopping Power

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Jan De Bont will direct the action thriller Stopping Power for Intermedia, fledgling LA-basedproduction, finance and sales house QED International, and German production andphysical effects house action concept.Intermedia, QED International and action concept are producing andco-financing and expect to begin production in September in Germany. QEDInternational will begin worldwide pre-sales ...

  • News

    Ralph Alexander promoted to executive vp at SPRI

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    RalphAlexander has been named executive vice president of distribution at SonyPictures Releasing International (SPRI).Alexander,who has been with Columbia TriStar for almost two decades, takes on expandedduties in Europe and continues to report to SPRI distribution president MarkZucker."Ralph'sextensive distribution experience in all parts of the world makes him one ofSPRI's most ...

  • News

    Fabrication holds Hoole's Court for Cannes

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Los Angeles-based distributor Fabrication Films has picked upworldwide rights to Rohan Michael Hoole's Australian thriller Court Of LonelyRoyals.Fabrication has arranged private screenings for distributors inMelbourne and Sydney prior to its market screenings at the Cannes Film Market.Hoole also wrote and produced the story of four intertwined livesin a dystopian future ...

  • News

    Stahman gets top domestic marketing job at re-energised MGM

    2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Perry Stahman has been appointed to the new position of presidentof domestic theatrical marketing at MGM, reporting directly to chief operatingofficer Rick Sands.Stahman (pictured) arrives from 20th Century Fox where he served assenior vice president of creative advertising since 2004. "Having overseen the marketing for a number of high profilefilms, ...

  • News

    Meltdown to soar past $350m for Fox International

    2006-04-28T00:00:00Z

    Ice Age 2: The Meltdown was due to cross $350m by the end of the week andFox International executives expect it to remain the dominant tile heading intothe three-day weekend.Strong holdovers in allmarkets will add considerably to the $349m international running total reportedby the close of Apr 27. China will ...